Our Programs

The Coastal Corridor Alliance is presently managing two programs and is about to launch a third. The first includes park planning efforts for the Randall Preserve. The second includes building partnerships and a volunteer corps for restoration work in the Coastal Corridor. It is anticipated that in 2024, the Alliance will begin an educational program to get community supporters and residents in disinvested communities into nature.

Park Planning for the Randall Preserve

The Coastal Corridor Alliance has a leadership role in the park planning for the land formerly called Banning Ranch, now the Randall Preserve/Genga [Tribal Name to be Determined] (Randall Peserve). Because the land was under private ownership for more than a century, the critical next step is an evaluation of the site through a comprehensive park planning effort. The land acquisition agreement placed the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) as titleholder with the requirement to develop a Property Management Plan, that encompasses a Resource Management Plan and Tribal Access and Engagement Plan that both collectively inform a Public Access Plan. Beyond those acquisition requirements, CCA received partial funding for a separate, but related Coastal Resilience Strategy. MRCA has until December 2025 to develop these plans.

Resource Management Plan (RMP)

A critical next step for the Randall Preserve is an evaluation of the site through a RMP, which includes baseline and integrated biological surveys. The RMP also includes a site description, property management details, allowable public uses, biological monitoring and management, funding, and identification of restoration opportunities. This work is above ground only and in no instance involves any below ground disturbance.

Elevational gradients, habitat transition zones, and marine influence will be captured sitewide along with a baseline biological survey that integrates historical survey data to provide the most accurate picture of challenges and opportunities on this property. These topics intertwine with the permanent preservation of the flora and fauna. This project is funded through a federal grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to CCA.

CCA will engage the community, emphasizing the nearby disadvantaged communities in Costa Mesa to promote these public engagement opportunities when they arise. This project is funded through a grant from The Trust for Public Land to CCA.

Coastal Resilience Strategy (CRS)

The CRS will likely include four critical analyses: assessing hazard risk and community vulnerability, identifying nature-based solutions appropriate for this site, quantifying conservation and restoration action(s), and measuring the potential effectiveness of these actions to reduce risk. Future phases of this work would include actual on-the-ground restoration and plan implementation. In 2023, BRC added the Randall Preserve Wetland Feasibility Study to the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project Work Plan.

The RMP and CRS are two separate, but intertwined documents. Activities for both include identification of land uses and policy constraints, pre-colonization and settlement history, determining appropriate conservation and access goals as well as management objectives, physical and environmental setting, fire history or fire management concerns, historic weather trends, existing and future funding needs, a biological monitoring schedule, hazard risk assessment, recommendations for risk reduction, and more. This project is funded through a federal grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to CCA.

The public will also have opportunities to weigh in on the CRS by providing comments on the draft document and participating in public engagement meetings before finalization and adoption. Again, CCA will promote these public engagement opportunities when they arise. This project is funded through a grant from The Trust for Public Land to CCA.

Public Access Plan (PAP)

The PAP is last because all of the other plans inform this one. It will outline who, what, when, where, and why specific uses on the land are or are not allowed. It is likely that this component will be housed within the RMP described above. This project is funded through a federal grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to CCA.

The public will also have opportunities to weigh in on the PAP by providing comments on the draft document and participating in public engagement meetings before finalization and adoption. Again, CCA will promote these public engagement opportunities when they arise. This project is funded through a grant from The Trust for Public Land to CCA.

Peer Program

The Coastal Corridor has a long list of restoration work identified. Many organizations are already working in these lands and waters. The Coastal Corridor Alliance is adding a workforce and partnering with stakeholders for a more cooperative, inclusive, and effective restoration effort through its PEER Program.

The PEER Program has four focus areas:

Partnerships
Engagement
Equity/Inclusion
Restoration

Sign Up For BRC Volunteer & Educational Events

At all of our events, we learn and discuss the ecological realities of the interconnected Coastal Corridor.

Third Saturday
Fairview Park Habitat Restoration Days

CCA adopted an area of Fairview Park for native habitat restoration. Individuals and families are invited to join us at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa from 9 am – 11:30 am, every 3rd Saturday.

In 2024, CCA is looking for a team to water the native plants installed in the fall of 2023. To learn more about the watering rotation, please contact Paul Waggoner.

Register

Nature Walks

Join us for an immersive experience, discovering the hidden treasures of nature while enjoying the health benefits of outdoor exercise. Elevate your curiosity, learn to use binoculars and field guides, and connect with the diverse species.

Acompáñenos en una experiencia de inmersión, para descubrir los tesoros escondidos de la naturaleza y a la vez disfrutar de los beneficios para la salud al ejercitarse al aire libre. Aumente su curiosidad, aprenda a usar binoculares y guías de campo, y conecte con las diversas especies.

Called the Coastal Discovery Tours, we will rotate visiting parks in the Coastal Corridor:

Fairview Park
Talbert Regional Park
Huntington Beach Wetlands

Llamados Coastal Discovery Tours, rotaremos las visitas a los parques en el Corredor Costero:

Fairview Park
Talbert Regional Park
Huntington Beach Wetlands

Register for the event | Regístrese para el evento

Don’t miss out on this enriching adventure – where every step brings you closer to the wonders of our parklands!

No se pierda esta aventura enriquecedora – ¡Donde cada paso lo acerca a las maravillas de nuestros parques!

Second Saturday | Segundo sábado
Coastal Discovery Tours

Individuals and families are invited to join us each month from 9 am – 11:00 am, every 2nd Saturday. Children seven and up are welcome to attend, but must be accompanied by an adult. Events include Spanish language interpreters, binoculars, field guides and fun!

Personas individuales y familias están invitadas a acompañarnos el segundo sábado de cada mes de 9:00 a 11:00 a. m. Los niños de siete años para arriba serán bienvenidos, pero deberán estar acompañados por un adulto. ¡Los recorridos incluyen intérpretes al español, binoculares, guías de campo y diversión!

Register | Inscribirse